When Honker Met Gosalyn
by AnimationNut
Summary: Gosalyn thought the day couldn't get any better than going house hunting with her new dad and his sidekick. Then she found the house of her dreams, and met the kid next door.


**I do not own Darkwing Duck.**

**When Honker Met Gosalyn**

The newly-deemed Gosalyn Mallard bounced eagerly in her seat, her small face pressed against the glass window of Drake Mallard's (whose secret identity was Darkwing Duck, the coolest superhero _ever_) blue mini-van. Her bright green eyes scanned every passing house and kept a critical eye out for any _For Sale _signs jammed in front yards. "I can't believe I'm going house hunting with my new dad!"

Drake smiled softly. "I can't believe I'm going house hunting with my new daughter."

He could hardly believe it was only two days since the Taurus Bulba incident. So much had happened in a short time span-such as falling in love with the spirited nine-year old redhead and becoming a civilian once more by day.

"There's one!" Gosalyn suddenly cried. Launchpad McQuack hastily slammed the brakes, screeching to a stop near the curb. Drake yelped as the jolts caused his injuries to flare up with pain.

"Sorry, DW." Launchpad apologized. "The brakes are a little touchy."

"So is my arm." Drake wheezed, gingerly adjusting his wing in the sling.

"C'mon! We're in luck! It's an open house!" Gosalyn cried eagerly.

The threesome filed out of the car. Gosalyn stared at the cream-coloured house and the pinkish roof with an expression of pure delight. "I like it!"

"We haven't even seen the inside!" Drake protested.

"Oh, right." Gosalyn immediately raced into the house with the two adults following behind. There were only a few other people looking at the house, so there were no arms jostling Drake's tender injuries. The man glanced around the entryway. It was a small, simple space with enough room for shoes and coats. There was a hallway that stretched to the main living room and kitchen and a set of stairs that led to the bedrooms and bathroom. They explored every room and Drake had to admit the place seemed fitting.

"Can we buy this place? Please? Please?" Gosalyn begged, jumping up and down hopefully. "I already have plans on how I want to decorate my room!"

"Slow down, kiddo!" Drake laughed. "I have to call the real estate agent and make a bid first. I want to see how low I can go."

"What will you use the third bedroom for?" Launchpad asked.

Drake arched an eyebrow. "Duh, LP. That'll be your room."

Launchpad gaped. "You mean it?! I get to live with you?"

"Of course. My sidekick needs to be close in case of emergency."

"Keen gear!" Gosalyn exclaimed, who had taken quite the liking to Launchpad. "We're all gonna be one happy family!"

"Then we better get moving." Drake ushered his daughter out the front door. "There's a lot of work involved in buying a house."

"You got it, Dad!" Gosalyn cried. She ran over to the van, grabbed the door-and froze.

"What?" Drake asked worriedly, snapping his head about. "What's wrong?"

"There's a kid next door," Gosalyn breathed, eyes wide. "A kid my age!"

"Oh. Well, that's nice. Maybe you can make friends with her-"

"Him," Gosalyn corrected, pointing to the house next door to the one they intended to buy.

Drake frowned slightly, unsure how he felt about Gosalyn wanting to make friends with a boy. Any worries he held disappeared completely when he saw who Gosalyn was referring to.

He was a small kid, with large red-rimmed glasses. He was sitting on his front porch, a book open in his lap.

"It would be so cool to have a friend who lived next door to me." Gosalyn sighed dreamily.

"What about your friends at the orphanage?" Drake asked carefully. "You can always have them come over."

Gosalyn shrugged. "They...all moved away when families came to adopt them. It was kind of an unspoken rule in the orphanage-the friends you make are only your friends up until they get adopted. Then you never see them again. It'd be nice to have a friend who wouldn't leave me."

The sad expression on her face tugged at Drake's heartstrings. "Why don't you go say hello?" He urged gently, pushing his daughter towards the boy.

Brightening up, Gosalyn ran over to her possible new friend. "Hi!"

The boy jumped, his book flying off his lap and into the grass. He stared up at her with wide eyes. After a moment, he gained his bearings and returned the greeting. "Hello."

"I'm Gosalyn Waddle-Mallard," she corrected quickly. "I'm Gosalyn Mallard. That's my new dad, Dark-Drake, Drake Mallard. And my friend Launchpad." She pointed at the two men observing from the van.

"I'm Herbert Muddlefoot." The boy introduced. "It's very nice to meet you."

Gosalyn wrinkled her beak. "That's a dumb name."

Drake winced, having heard Gosalyn's (rather loud) exclamation. "Not exactly how to make friends..."He muttered under his breath.

But to his surprise, Herbert wasn't offended. "I know. But I can't do much about it. My parents named me Herbert and if I want to change my name I have to wait until I'm legal."

"You could always give yourself a nickname." Gosalyn suggested. "How about...Herbie? Nah, that's lame. I know! Honker!"

The boy mulled over the name. "Actually, that sounds a lot better than Herbert." He admitted.

"Honker it is!" Gosalyn said cheerfully. "Well Honker, we're gonna move in next door to you and I thought I would get a head start on our friendship."

"You want to be friends with me?" Honker asked incredulously.

Gosalyn faltered, wondering for the first time if perhaps she had been too forward (like always). "If...if you want to."

"I'd like that very much." Honker said honestly. "I don't really have friends."

"Neither do I!" Gosalyn exclaimed. "You know what that means?"

"What?"

"We can be best friends!" Gosalyn slung a wing around his shoulders and squeezed. "We'll have a great time! We can go to the movies, go to the arcade, play ball hockey, go skateboarding-I might even get to go to the same school as you! Hey, maybe my dad will take us out for ice cream! DAD! CAN WE GO GET ICE CREAM WITH MY NEW BEST FRIEND?"

Utterly amused, Drake called back, "Only if his parents say yes."

Taking this as his cue, Honker opened his front door. "Mom, can I go get ice cream with my new friend?"

"Best friend," Gosalyn corrected.

"My new best friend?"

"Sure, sweetie!" A kind, female voice answered. "Try not to ruin your dinner!"

"I won't, Mom." Honker had barely closed the door when Gosalyn grabbed his wing and dragged him towards the two adults who had been watching them from the van.

"Dad! Launchpad! This Honker Muddlefoot, my new best friend!" Gosalyn said happily. "Honker, this is my dad and Launchpad."

"It's very nice to meet you, sirs." Honker said politely, trying not to stare at the man's abundance of bandages and extending the wing Gosalyn wasn't holding onto to shake.

Drake arched an eyebrow. "A gentlemen, eh? Gosalyn could learn some manners from you, kid." He gave Honker's wing a firm shake with his good wing.

"I like you already, kiddo." Launchpad said cheerfully, pumping Honker's wing up and down next.

Drake rolled his eyes. "You like everybody."

"So, Honk, what kind of ice cream do you like?" Gosalyn asked.

"I'm partial to chocolate swirl, myself." Honker answered.

The redhead positively beamed. "Me too!"

And as Honker climbed into the back of the van with Gosalyn following behind, he realized that in the span of ten minutes, he had gotten a new name _and _a best friend-one that, he would later find out, would stay with him for the rest of his life.

**My take on how the two met and became friends.**

**Review please, but no flames!**


End file.
